138 HINTS TO horsemen; or, 



ratio ^ the good judgment and management of the 

 owner increases. Thus, one man pays twice what he 

 ought for the purchase and keeping up his stud, and, 

 indeed, all and everything that belongs to them ; the 

 next keeps up such establishment at perhaps a large 

 but fair cost ; a third now and then gets a pull on 

 the right side ; a fourth greatly diminishes the ex- 

 pense ; a fifth actually makes money by his horses, 

 having the credit, amusement, and services of them 

 at the same time, though I grant few do thus much. 

 These different results from keeping horses arising 

 chiefly from the man w^ho keeps them, or oppor- 

 tunity, is the reason why I recommend one man to 

 do a thing I as strongly advise another to abstain 

 from. I will instance racing, which, in a general way, 

 I strenuously advise men to let alone, knowing, as I 

 do, that, with few exceptions, they will eventually 

 lose their money at it ; but in doing so, I advise the 

 multitude, not a particular man. The man who 

 keeps first-rate race-horses, if his property is vested 

 in them, goes on the principle of sink or swim ; and 

 where one keeps on the surface, nineteen sink. He 



